Firefighters in the San Francisco Bay Area say a homeless woman had to be rescued from a storm drain when runoff from a rain storm began rushing into it.

The Marin Independent Journal reports that the woman was heard crying for help in San Rafael on Sunday morning. Workers at a nearby car wash responded, but the drainage cover was too heavy for them to lift, so they called firefighters.

Four firefighters lifted the cover and then deployed a ladder. The woman, who was not identified, was rescued a little after 8 a.m. and taken to Marin General Hospital for a checkup. A dog that was accompanying her was taken by the Marin Humane Society.

San Rafael Battalion Chief Paul Crimmins said some homeless people use the city's drainage system as a place to sleep.